Chapter 44

Taking a seat in the kitchen, Reid rummaged through the pantry, making something that I knew was

going to turn my stomach upside down. The smell alone of him just getting the ingredients out was

enough to make me dry heave. I felt lightheaded and rested my head on the cool tabletop. Reid

came over.

"What's wrong?”

I didn't say anything, refusing to give him any reason to send me back to the cell. Loneliness and

the quiet down there was enough to send a person crazy. I was also scared that if I did go back

down there, I would sleep. What if I slept the entire time away, slept until this pregnancy was over or

worse never woke up. That thought scared me, the thought of leaving Lily alone in this world

without me to protect her. I didn't want to go back to the cell. My own thoughts would send me

insane, and I couldn't bear being away from Lily. I needed her like I needed air. She was the piece of

my life I was proud of, the only thing I would fight to the death for besides Reid, who I wasn't so

sure would do the same for me, at least not anymore. Making sure to keep my walls up so he

couldn't invade my thoughts and think I was just trying to defy him. I could feel him probing trying

to find a way in.

"Stop blocking me out, Aria,” he growled annoyed. “I have warned you and yet you still go against

the warning. Are you trying to piss me off?”

“They are my thoughts; you have no right to know them. If I wanted you to know what I was

thinking, I would tell you.” I told him, taking deep breaths through my mouth, so I couldn't smell the

revolting stench of the bacon he placed on the counter. Reid gripped my shoulders, hauling me to

my feet. The room spun before tilting. I bent over throwing up bile and narrowly missing Reid's foot.

Walking over holding my breath, I washed my face under the sink and rinsed my mouth, trying to

bring my temperature down. My body felt like it was on fire burning up and to think he wants me to

keep going through this for another twenty weeks. Grabbing a tea towel and wetting it, I walked

back over to where I threw up, intending to clean it. Reid snatched the tea towel from me.

"Sit, I will clean it.” He sounded furious like he thought I did it deliberately. I suddenly wished to be

back in the cell, anything to stop this heat that was overtaking my senses boiling me from the

inside. I sat in the chair and watched as he cleaned the floor before walking out and chucking the

tea towel in the laundry. A few seconds later, Wendy walked in with a mop.

"Here Wendy, I will do it,” I said, trying to take the mop from her hand.

"Sit back down, Aria, I didn’t say you could move.” I glared at him.

“I'm pregnant, not fucking disabled.” I spat back at him, snatching the mop from Wendy's hand. I

was not going to make her clean up after me. Especially something so embarrassing like vomit.

When I was done, Wendy took the mop and bucket and left. She didn’t say one word to me the

entire time. I wonder what Reid has said to them, usually even Wendy would have pushed the limits

with Reid and tried to reach out to me. Only she didn't this time. Was she mad at me too for

wanting to abort this pregnancy? Was I the only one who thought this was a disaster? Maybe I had

gone too far, gone against the Moon Goddess.

I sat back down, my stomach starting to settle now that it was empty. Surely, I can't be sick again

after throwing up already. That thought was soon proven wrong when Reid walked over, placing the

plate in front of me. He had cooked bacon and eggs, toast, and fried tomatoes. I stared at it, not

wanting to be anywhere near it. I knew the consequences of eating, I could feel it already in the

back of my throat, threatening to come up at any moment. I could already taste the bile coming

back up. Reid grew annoyed, his fist coming down on the table next to me, making me jump. The

wood creaking and cracking up the centre from the force. I was quite surprised it actually didn't

break and split down the middle. Looking up, Reid was glaring at me. If looks could kill I would have

been turned to ash with the way he is glaring at me, the venom in his words made my heart sink to

someplace deep and dark.

“Fucking eat, or I will force-feed it to you.” I didn't want to know what that entailed, so I picked up a

piece of toast and tore off a bit. Chewing slowly before trying to swallow, as soon as it touched my

tongue, I heaved and ran for the sink. Only just making it in time and throwing up yet again in the

kitchen sink. Reid was at my side in an instant gripping my arm making sure I didn't run off.

“Is this your plan to starve the baby to death?” How could he think that? I felt like slapping him. I

have no intentions of harming it. I didn't ask for this. If I could eat I would.

“No, it's the food,” I choked out.

“There nothing wrong with it, you will eat whether you want to or not, one way or another Aria, so

fucking choose.” I shook my head, rinsing my mouth again. I could feel my anger start to bubble.

How could he think I would deliberately starve myself? I know I need to eat, but food right now is

something I won't be able to keep down. Then it clicked. This baby doesn't want food, it's a Hybrid

and Hybrids need blood. Just thinking of the rich, soothing taste of blood made my mouth water

and brought my need to feed to the forefront of my mind wrapping around my senses.

I could hear the soft beating of Reid's heart and a fast fluttering of another heartbeat. I looked

around my fangs protruding painfully. Where was it coming from? No one was in the kitchen with

us. I realised, it was the only thing that made sense. I knew it wasn’t my own. Mine was in sync with

it, feeling it pushing the blood throughout my body. This one was faster and softer, the beating not

nearly as loud. I looked down at the bump. The soft thrumming was coming from inside me, the life

living within me.

I looked at Reid, shocked at what I could hear. How had I not noticed it before?

“I hear it.” My words coming out distorted while my bloodlust takes over, my fangs getting in the

way of my tongue.

"Hear what?" I looked down and placed my hands on my stomach. Reid's eyes followed my hands,

watching.

“I can hear it.” I whispered. Reid figuring out what I was talking about. Placed his hand over mine.

Like he could suddenly feel it, although we both knew that was a couple of weeks off yet. Zane

stepped into the kitchen, before realising, he walked in on something. He froze and went to turn

around, but it was too late. My senses were already overloaded, his heartbeat just adding to the

pressure snapping the control I had left. I lunged at him, the sound of his heart beating becoming

too much.

Grabbing him by the shoulders, I bit into the tender flesh of his neck. Zane’s blood filled my mouth.

I could feel my eyes change as my vision turned red as I drank greedily. Starving and rabid, I had no

control, but in this moment, I didn't want control. I just wanted blood and was willing to do

anything for it. Zane tried to fight me off, but I was stronger, his hands pushing and yanking more

of an annoyance, a distraction but not strong enough to fight me off. Shoving him into the wall and

biting down harder this time into his shoulder, I had him where I wanted him pinned to the wall with

no escape. It all happened so quickly not even Reid had time to react. I could feel Reid's hand wrap

around my shoulders and yank me back, forcing me to let go of Zane. My teeth ripping away taking

his flesh with me. I spun around quickly to fend off Reid. Only for his intoxicating scent to hit me, his

scent filling my nose, as I breathed deeply my eyes fluttering closed, a growl tearing out of me

vibrating through every cell in my body.

Zane's blood was nothing compared to Reid's. I craved Reid's blood. Zane's was sweet but bitter

compared to the taste of Reids. Opening my eyes, I advance on Reid. I jump at him wrapping my

legs around his waist, my arms wrapping around his shoulders, as I sink my teeth into him, drinking

so fast I couldn't swallow fast enough, his blood running down my chin and neck. I could feel Reid

trying to pull away, fighting me off. It was only when I heard her agonised scream ring in my ears

that I stopped. The sheer pain in that one scream tearing through my heart and shattering my soul.

All her fear and pain flooding me through the Pack link as she screamed out for her mate. Forcing

myself trying to override the need to feed, I turned to find Zane slumped on the floor next to the

kitchen door. Christine clutched onto his shirt, tears staining her face as sobs wracked her entire

body.

Her wailing as she clutched his shirt, trying to wake him. Wendy and Mitch ran in. Wendy's hands

going to her mouth trying to hide her shock as Mitch ran to Christine pulling her out of the way

before leaning down and placing his hand on his neck which wasn't healing just spilling out his life's

blood onto the tile. Zane's face drained of life as his skin started to lose its colour. Reid shoved me

out of the way trying to get to his best friend and Beta. Then I see Amber and Lily step into the

kitchen, Ambers screams shatter me as she runs trying to get to her father, only for Christine to grab

her shielding her eyes away from her father's limp body bleeding out on the floor. What have I

done?